About Sandra Karlin

Sandra Karlin is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) and completed her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University. Sandra earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and minored in Communications Studies and Sociology at Wilfrid Laurier University. She went on to complete her counselling internship at MyLife under the supervision of our Clinical Director Mark Nixon, RP #2331. We invited Sandra to join MyLife as one of our trusted therapists thanks to her proven track record of helping her clients through life’s most difficult challenges.

Sandra is passionate about helping people overcome a range of mental health and life challenges. Over the years, she has gained experience working with adults of all ages and backgrounds. Sandra’s experience providing one-on-one support to individuals at Chartwell Retirement Residences helps her appreciate the importance of her clients’ feeling a sense of connection and understanding at all stages in their lives. Her work at McLennan Speech and Language speech clinic and Extend-A-Family Waterloo Region community centre inspired her to help people overcome loneliness, stress, and to develop ways to build more positive self-concepts and body image.

Sandra also enjoys working with family issues. During her time at the developmental centre KidsAbilty, she saw firsthand the challenges families face in supporting children with special needs. She also gained a deeper understanding of how those with “invisible” disabilities are frequently misunderstood and labeled. She strives to support family members in their efforts to empower their children in realizing their full potential.

Sandra is especially skilled at helping people navigate major life transitions including career changes, entering or leaving school, relationship transitions, and cultural shifts. She understands how these life altering changes can lead to a sense of loss, anxiety, uncertainty, and self-doubt. Sandra helps her clients regain a sense of confidence in who they are by helping them work through the loss, supporting them in facing their fears, and helping them identify their strengths as they rebuild their sense of self.

Sandra is also excited to be working with couples struggling to talk openly about unexpressed feelings, relationship roadblocks and intimacy. Her goal is to help couples grow together instead of feeling alone and at odds. Her training in Gottman Method couples counselling means she’s able to offer structured and practical approaches in improving communication, friendship, and intimacy. Sandra believes that relationships are a cornerstone of living a full life and that being in a healthy relationship supports one’s overall mental health.

In her downtime, Sandra keeps her life in balance through physical activities such as squash, hiking and playing with her chocolate Labrador puppy. She also loves to travel and to experience different cultures as the locals do!